Stand By Me
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: "No, I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid. Just as long as you stand, stand by me. So darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh, stand by me. Oh, stand, stand by me. Stand by me." When things spiral and rumor is more appealing than truth, are all they have is each other? (Co-written with Cry-Of-A-Warp-Engine)
1. Messing Around

"Holy fuck… he actually did it." Amanda said quietly as she and Finn laughed backstage along with the others.

"Owens had it coming too… but the original script didn't call for it to happen." Finn responded before noticing the look on Amanda's face.

"Okay so I wanted something funny to happen tonight to spark up the feud a bit and suggested the idea to creative." Amanda admitted, Finn unable to fight the smirk on his face.

Before he could respond though, both heard Kevin Owens yelling in rage as he reached the area… he stormed over, Finn standing up after Amanda did and putting himself in front of her.

"Chill, she was just trying to liven things up a bit." Finn replied.

"Liven things up?! What she did was embarrass me and tear up what I stand for, more like trashing things up!" Kevin shouted, his eyes narrowed with the rage streaming through his system.

"Can't you take a little joke?! All the things you did to me weren't funny at all, they were damn mean!" Amanda responded.

"She's right, Kevin, they were." Finn said, Kevin turning to him with narrowed eyes.

"This doesn't concern you, you're just on the outside looking in, so back out!" Kevin growled.

"Don't you dare talk to him like that!" Amanda snapped at Kevin, who saw hers and Finn's left and right hands clasp together instinctively… and smirked a bit.

"You really are so good at hiding things, aren't you?" Kevin said, moments before he lunged towards them… only to be slammed into from the side, both him and Dianne falling to the floor. Instinctively, he kicked out with his foot as he pulled himself up to his feet again, Dianne grunting as he caught her cheek, but got up quicker and did the same to him, but with her prosthetic it was a much harder impact… several of them.

"You want embarrassment?! Go tell your fans that you just got slammed by a girl with one leg!" Dianne said angrily, wiping away a trail of blood from her chin as the kick to her cheek had caused the inside of her mouth to split against her teeth.

Kevin stood up and limped away, Dianne turning to Amanda and Finn before Amanda handed her a washcloth and Dianne wiped the blood away.

"Thank you… you two alright?" Dianne responded, as she reached for the nearby sports capped water bottle to clear the blood in her mouth.

"Yeah. What about you, any teeth feel loosened?" Amanda replied, checking Dianne for loose teeth but Dianne stopped her.

"My mouth was open, most of the force went between the teeth… if there's any loosened, I doubt it's to a point of coming out, I'm alright." Dianne answered, before she felt around her two sets with her tongue. "Yep… all good, a couple on the slight wobble but nothing big."

"Some fix themselves at times." Finn said before turning to Amanda.

"I'm okay, he didn't hit me." Amanda responded as Finn rested his right hand on the back of her neck.

As Amanda was getting ready for the commentary segment, Stephanie noticed a bit of tension in the way Amanda's shoulders were stiffened and walked over to her.

"Mandy, you alright?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah, just looking over the script again… Steph, you know he's getting frustrated with this character and from what I heard, creative wants to bring in a new one to play a second Stardust but they haven't said who. So what's going on, no solid decision?" Amanda responded.

"No, there is a solid decision but… creative wants it to be as much of a surprise to the cast as it is to the viewers. Hunter won't even tell me yet, only why, which is what I just said." Stephanie explained.

"I've never known him to be all secretive." Amanda said, the two laughing for a few seconds. "Well, I better get on out there." She replied as they hugged.

The match with Jack and Cody was over in a little over two minutes, Alberto Del Rio, Zeb Colter and Titus O'Neil leaving the area unexpectedly… and Amanda got into the ring to help Cody up. But immediately, he shoved her down to her knees and grabbed a microphone, still in character and maniacally laughing.

"The nerve of you… taking her place!" Cody spat out as Amanda stood up, seeing the wings painted on Amanda's wrists and pale blue contacts in her eyes.

"Cody, it's still the same old me!" Amanda replied, lightly rubbing her stomach and waist as Cody shoved her by putting his hands against it when he was supposed to shove her by her sides. "And that hurt!" She hissed, Jack walking to her.

"Cody, why didn't you grab her by her sides?!" Jack demanded, Cody letting out a rageful hiss as he was scripted to before turning to Jack.

"Because that's now Balor's place to put his hands, when she fucking rides him from here to Timbuktu!" Cody shouted in response.

"Dude, there are kids in the audience and watching at home, behave yourself!" Amanda yelled, Jack keeping her from lunging at Cody.

"Get her out of here." Jack whispered after seeing Finn, who helped Amanda out of the ring and to the back.

"I think he slipped a bit out there on camera… they didn't mute him in time, did they?" Amanda said quietly as Finn grabbed the paint remover and cleaned the paint off of her wrists and forearms as Dean ran over to them… and then Dean eyes narrowed when he saw Cody walk through the curtain and he charged over, grabbing Cody by the collar of his ring outfit.

"Damn it Dean, stay outta this!" Cody shouted as Amanda put her contact lenses in her case and closed it.

"You shoved my Shield sister onto her knees and didn't even follow the script towards the end! Why the hell did you drag Finn into this?!" Dean demanded.

"Well it's true, ain't it?! There she is holding his hand, sheltering behind him, holding her stomach while she's out there, my eyes tell me he's given her a bun for her oven!" Cody responded.

"You shoved her too hard, you know she bruises easily!" Jack yelled after catching up to them, Cody storming over to Finn and Amanda.

"You were supposed to grab me by my sides!" Amanda growled after standing up and giving Cody a hard whack to his face. "I'm human, Cody, not a damn punching bag!" She yelled, Finn holding her back and putting her behind him again… Cody was about to go back at her but Finn narrowed his eyes at the younger man.

"You screwed up out there, could've-" Finn said, Cody cutting him off in anger.

"Killed ya child?! Give me one shot, I swear I don't miss!" Cody growled in response.

"Go… don't ever bother coming around me again." Amanda said as tears formed in her hazel eyes.

"Mandy-" Cody started to respond.

"I said go!" Amanda screamed, Cody storming off and Finn pulling Amanda to him and brushing her tears away as the words that Cody had spoken disturbed her. The two held each other, Dean resting a hand on Amanda's back and Jack resting one on her right shoulder.

Cody walked into the locker room and took the paint off and contact lenses out before seeing Dustin walk in.

"What the hell was all that about back there? You swore up and down that you wouldn't hurt Mandy again." Dustin replied after closing the door.

"She shoulda stayed on the pill then, wouldn't have Balor's kid growing in her womb if protection was used!" Cody said.

"You know, you really are that stupid, aren't you?! You hit her stomach and Finn is protective, that's all there is to any of this!" Dustin responded.

"It's more than a protective friend!" Cody yelled.

"You still hurt her! You need to get your head together, Cody!" Dustin responded before grabbing his things and leaving.

Cody looked around and saw an old photo of himself and Amanda when he was 23 and she was 18.

"That used to be me that was protective." Cody muttered before heading towards the shower.


	2. Putting The Pieces Together

In the locker room, Amanda looked at herself after pulling her oversized Balor Club tank top off and saw the bruises shaped like Cody's thumbs and fingers before she felt Finn wrap his arms around her and him placing an ice pack to the bruised skin.

"I swore to Dusty that I'd keep things under control… and I blew it. Why the hell did I even suggest this storyline to creative last year?" Amanda said quietly as she twisted the soft cotton material between her hands.

"You had no idea then that Cody would be like this now. It's not your fault that he lost restraint and respect both." Finn replied, as one hand held the ice pack and the other rested on her shoulder.

"People change when they get older… but friendships shouldn't have to." Amanda responded as she set the top aside and Finn saw a bruise the same shape as the ring rope had formed on her upper back.

"Well that bruise there, we're all too familiar with." Finn said as he lightly trailed his finger over it, before a few moments later switching the ice to it.

"They always go for the back, I never really understood why." Amanda muttered.

"Guys can be royal assholes at times, lass." Finn responded.

"I've rarely seen you get angry, Finn… sometimes I forget that you have a temper." Amanda said as she managed to pull her disheveled long curls into a ponytail… the doorknob turned but the door didn't open because of the lock and was followed up with a knock from Becky.

"Open up!" Becky responded, Finn letting Amanda go and Amanda putting her tank top back on as Finn unlocked the door. Becky ran in and immediately hugged Amanda.

Amanda let out a slight yelp when Becky accidentally squeezed her too tight and the two let go.

"Sorry." Amanda said.

"Ain't your fault Cody hurt ya." Becky replied.

"Did you send Ace after him?" Amanda asked.

"You bet I did. No one gets away with hurting any one of us, least of all you." Becky answered.

Cody heard a knock at the door and stood up, opening it.

"Look, I-" Cody said but was caught off guard as Aestrid slammed her right knee into his ribcage and shoved him into the room before closing the door behind her.

"Look nothing, you did that to Mandy without thought, without consideration of anyone's feeling but your own! Well now I'm not considering your feelings…" Aestrid responded angrily, before raising her hand, revealing a knuckle duster on her fingers. "My new toy… is _very_ thirsty for blood!"

Cody tried to run, Aestrid hitting him hard… he fell to the floor unconscious and Aestrid was a bit disappointed at that.

"Damn… hope when you wake up, you'll wake up with a new attitude." Aestrid muttered before heading to the trainer's office and walking in. "Mandy stop by here yet?" She asked, Dr. Amann turning to her.

"No, not yet… I know she wouldn't put off anything that'll help her get better." Dr. Amann responded before both saw Finn guiding Amanda into the office.

"It's just bruises, I don't think anything's broken." Amanda replied.

When she was checked over and cleared, Amanda was back at the hotel with the others and settling into sleep.

But her mind went haywire.

 _Time felt like it was dragging on forever as the three tests were set out in front of her on the countertop, the tiny brunette tapping her right foot repeatedly until she stopped._

 _Amanda waited nervously in the family restroom of the arena, pacing back and forth until she heard the door open and was caught off guard by Cody._

" _What are you doing here?!" Both asked each other simultaneously… before Cody saw the tests that each read Positive and looked at Amanda in disbelief._

" _I thought… it wasn't possible… we tried repeatedly." Cody said, quietly as his eyes were locked on the tests._

" _A doctors diagnosis doesn't mean there can't be some kind of medical advancement… things change, Cody." Amanda explained, Cody's steel blue eyes narrowing at the brunette._

" _Or a lie to cut off any rumors! To kill a relationship you couldn't actually just say no to, oh never have you ever learnt the word 'no' even once, have you?! Not to Balor at least!" Cody responded with an angry growl._

" _Come on, why don't you believe that miracles happen?!" Amanda asked._

" _Oh, I'll believe in them alright! I'll believe in miracles the day you and that horny Irishman decide to get yourselves outta this damn company!" Cody shouted._

" _We ain't going nowhere from this company!" Amanda said, heading towards the door but Cody grabbed her by her hair and received a spinning backfist, the taller man yelling in pain and reeling back._

 _Cody grabbed a kendo stick after following Amanda into the hallway and slammed it into Amanda's arms as Amanda put them in front of her stomach to protect the kids._

 _Cody slammed it into Amanda's back repeatedly until she was pulled off of Amanda and Amanda felt Finn's arms around her._

" _Rhodes, the hell is your damn problem?!" Finn yelled._

" _That error of creation… will never happen!" Cody growled._

" _I'd feel much better if you put down a weapon you really have no idea how to use." They heard, Cody turning around to see Sylvia stood there with her arms folded over her chest._

" _As if her getting in bed wasn't bad enough…" Cody said… moments before Sylvia dashed forwards, grabbing the Kendo stick as she passed her before turning around, using the momentum of her turn to increase the strength of the hit she then delivered to Cody's side, between his hip and ribs, which locked up his muscles for a split second and sent him down to the floor._

 _Amanda felt Finn pick her up before she started losing consciousness…_

Amanda's eyes snapped open, her looking around before she felt Finn's arms wrap around her again and his hand smoothing her hair back.

"Only a dream, love… you're alright." Finn said quietly, him having known that Amanda had a nightmare when she'd jolted in his arms as she woke up.

Amanda nodded as she took deep breaths to steady her shaking frame… as she nestled her head onto Finn's shoulder, he gently brushed his left hand over her bruises.

They settled into sleep after a while, Finn's protective grip on Amanda making her feel safe.

At the arena the next day after they were ready for the day and getting ready for the show, Amanda and Finn jumped when they heard a loud 'clang!' followed by "Get your ass out here, boy! Think you can hide?! I'll fucking break your face for putting your hands on Mandy!".

Amanda hesitantly opened the door and poked her head out it… before jumping back into the locker room and slamming and locking the door, eyes wide and skin completely pale as she turned to Finn.

"John's here?" Finn asked.

"Steel pipe in hand…" Amanda answered shakily.

John had a hell of a temper that would emerge if he felt like someone wronged his baby sister.

 **John's perspective…**

All over the damn media, on every website and news station… and neither of them are answering their phones!

"You know I'll find you eventually, you little son of a bitch… stop fucking hiding!" I muttered, steel pipe in hand… what kind of big brother am I, leaving him around Mandy unsupervised?!

Where the hell would he be hiding?!

"Get out here!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, swinging the steel pipe against the wall.

"John, what the hell are you doing here?!" Hunter yelled as he and Stephanie ran to me.

"You swore up and down that they weren't doing anything, Hunter… where the hell is that little punk?! Balor, where the fuck are you hiding?! And where the fuck are _you_ hiding, Rhodes?!" I growled, yelling halfway through… add Cody to my kill list, no one puts their hands on Mandy in any way and tells me they didn't do anything wrong!

"John, you need to calm down now! I'm gonna go find Mandy and Finn and they'll explain this to you, okay?!" Stephanie responded.

"Nope! Anyone fucks with my little sis, I fucking break their faces and I know Shane has acted the same way when it involved you when you two were growing up!" I said, refusing to back down.

"John, office! Now! Keep the steel pipe with you if you think you need it!" Hunter replied, me reluctantly following him and Stephanie.

There's gonna be blood spilt tonight!


	3. Protective Siblings

**A/N: Bit of an AU turn, haven't used Amy Weber in any of my stories and she will reappear.**

 **Third person perspective...**

Amanda and Finn walked into the office after Stephanie called them… and both saw John with the steel pipe.

"John-" Amanda started to say.

"You, hush. You!" John said, growling at Finn and standing up, Hunter pulling Amanda out of the way as John got in Finn's face. "I trusted you with the most precious person in my life and you can't even use protection with her?!" He responded.

"John, would you just listen to us-" Finn said, John showing him and Amanda photos of her medical records that were sent to him… but scrolling down, Amanda saw where they were edited.

"John? These aren't legitimate. I had blood drawn weeks ago for a wellness test, the only real thing is my name on the form." Amanda said, John looking it over, backing up and setting the steel pipe aside after realising it. "I love ya, John, but you drive me up the damn wall at times." She replied.

"I was… damn it, I'm sorry. At least… maybe remember to _tell_ me, if anything like this comes up?" John responded after a few seconds.

"Yes. Now come here you." Amanda said before they hugged. They let go, John turning to Finn.

"Sorry I was ready to kill you." John apologised.

"It's alright. Any older brother who feels like someone had wronged their little sister is gonna go berserk." Finn replied.

"Is everyone calmed down now?" Hunter asked.

"Yes… damn, the last time I saw that steel pipe, it was the same night Bradshaw destroyed the US Spinner Championship." Amanda responded as she, Finn and John headed into the hallway with it.

"This place is a fucking maze, we're never gonna find her, Immy!" All three heard, Amanda's eyes going wide and Finn rested his left hand on her lower back.

"Now I may not have met her… but I recognise that voice from some of your childhood video tapes." Finn said as his hand lightly pressed and massaged over her spine.

"Yeah… Immy and I stayed in touch but Andre and I had a falling out. He didn't want me to leave." Amanda whispered.

"You said… sorta like me and my ex. But Immy… I guess she was always the kind to say 'do whatever you see your future within' wasn't she? I remember seeing that video… when you were 5, Christmas with Immy and Sachael." Finn responded.

"Sachael's last one…" Amanda said quietly as she brushed her tears away before feeling John's right hand rest on her left shoulder.

"I've got this." John replied before leaving and finding Immy. "Hey, kid." He said before they hugged and Immy turned to see Andre walk over.

"John, hey… your sis around here?" Andre asked.

"She is… hang on… I knew I recognised your face, childhood pal of hers." John answered.

"Yeah…" Andre said before looking and seeing Amanda and Finn.

"Immy, go on ahead. You, talk, now!" John said, the last part as he turned to Andre before Immy headed over to them and her and Amanda hugged.

"I take it he saw what happened on Raw…" Amanda replied as they let go.

"Yeah… he did." Immy said as they sat down. "John kept that steel pipe?" She asked.

"I haven't seen it since 2005. But I still remember him wanting to beat up Bradshaw after what happened to the US Spinner Championship. Can't really blame him, who sets a championship on fire?" Amanda replied, showing Immy a leather cover book once they were in the locker room and opening it to let Immy see the sketch she drew before the Spinner championship was built. "Seeing it set on fire… I hated Bradshaw for were backstage with me that night." She said.

"That was a fun night… until..." Immy replied.

 _ **WWE SmackDown taping scheduled to air 3/10/05…**_

 _Immy looked up when she heard the locker room door open and followed 14 year old Amanda into the hallway, knowing that the teen's temper was boiling._

" _All that hard work they put into designing that championship, gone! Damn it!" Amanda yelled, Immy trying to calm her. "Immy, stay here." She said, Immy seeing her slip a pair of brass knuckles onto her right hand and gripping her by her arm._

" _Don't break anything of yours." Immy replied before Amanda left, Immy finding Andre._

" _They just fucking burned it. Where's Mandy?" Andre responded._

" _Going to… 'talk' to him." Immy answered._

 _Amanda reached the locker room, only to be stopped by the only female member of The Cabinet, Amy Weber._

" _Get out of my way." Amanda responded angrily, the raven haired woman refusing to move._

" _You need to calm down… and it was just a championship." Amy said casually but also in a snobby tone._

" _Either I go through this door or I break your little plastic filled face, bitch!" Amanda threatened._

" _Honestly, you'll have to do option two, because nobody, especially not you, tells me what to do!" Amy growled._

" _So it's gonna be that way-" Amanda said, stopping and punching Amy with the brass knuckles… the diva search contestant reeled back in pain as she cried and the brunette charged in and grabbed Bradshaw by his tie and punched him right in the mouth. "All that hard work down the drain, I expected more from you! Unless you forgot what it's like to keep a championship without cheating or even win a match on your own!" She yelled, Bradshaw yanking a loose tooth out as Orlando Jordan and the Basham brothers ran in. "You want some of this too?!" She shouted after turning to the three with her fist raised, Doug hiding behind Danny._

" _Doug, she's just a skinny little kid! Man up!" Danny said quietly, Doug refusing to budge._

" _Nope, you deal with her! You saw Amy's broken nose, right?!" Doug responded, Bradshaw running into the hallway and helping the raven haired woman into the locker room before pressing a washcloth to her nose after resetting it._

" _Yeah, and if she doesn't get some answers and resolutions, Amy's nose will be just the first of many to be crushed!" Danny replied._

" _A lot of hard work went into that title and it was my design that y'all blew up!" Amanda responded, Bradshaw pulling her aside. "How could you do that? I spent 5 months working on the design of that championship and making sure everything was perfect when it was being built! I did that as a gift to my brother!" She said._

" _It wasn't my decision, kid." Bradshaw replied, Amanda knowing that was his way of not taking responsibility and leaning in._

" _If I were you… I'd run because John's gonna be armed with more than brass knuckles!" Amanda growled before leaving._

" _She scares me." Doug said quietly, Danny nudging him._

" _Why do the small ones scare you?" Orlando asked._

" _No one thinks they'll fight back when provoked." Doug answered…_

 **Present time…**

Andre and John walked into the locker room, Amanda looking up at them.

"Been a long time…" Amanda said.

"It has…" Andre replied as they hugged… and she saw the wedding band on his left hand.

"Wife not much into the sport?" Amanda asked as they let go, absentmindedly adjusting her ivory colored oversized babydoll style tank top.

"She prefers to go see a stage show, like a comedy musical or something like that… some of them are good. Mostly she's into orchestra, she plays the double bass in one herself, but wrestling… either too noisy or too violent for her." Andre answered.

A knock at the door sounded, Amanda walking over and opening it.

"It's about the opening segment for tonight…" Mark Carrano explained, Amanda heading into the hallway and leaving the door cracked open.

"Who walks out there when John's out there with the steel pipe, Cody as himself or as Stardust?" Amanda asked.

"As Stardust… you feeling alright, kid?" Mark responded.

"Old friends showed up here… last time I saw one of them was when he and I were teens." Amanda said, Mark resting a hand on her right shoulder.

"Andre, right? You told a couple of stories from your youth a while ago." Mark replied.

"Yeah. The day I left, he tried to stop me by kissing me…" Amanda said, revealing a bite scar on her lower lip and Mark cringing at that. "10 ½ years… so much changed, he's married now." She replied.

"And you think the wife will hate you because you and Andre were close to being lovers?" Mark asked, Amanda nodding.

"Wouldn't you hate your spouse's old friend if she went to see him without telling you?" Amanda questioned.

"At first… but I'd try to understand. Maybe his wife will too." Mark replied.

Amanda honestly hoped so… but something told her that things were just starting.


	4. A Whirlwind

_**WWE SmackDown taping scheduled to air 12/10/15…**_

John headed out there to a mix of cheers and boos as normal… but he had the steel pipe in hand and smacked it against the steel steps twice before getting in the ring and grabbing a microphone after his music stopped.

He wanted to tell them that he wasn't still angry but it would be a lie… and right now, that anger was focused on Cody.

"Something needs to be handled. It seems that Stardust likes to put his hands on my kid sister. Someone should've told Stardust that I like to break faces! So wherever in the fifth dimension you're hiding, get your ass out here!" John said angrily.

Painted in the silver, red and black paint he had on last night as well as the Stardust outfit and contacts that fit it, Cody walked out there and got into the ring with a smirk on his face.

"You put your hands on Mandy… and all you do is smirk at me?" John replied.

"Do you deserve any words? Have you earned them?" Cody questioned.

"Of course, blame shifting as always." Booker T muttered as scripted to… but it seemed to strike a nerve with Cody.

"You couldn't make it as a competitor anymore in this ring, shut your mouth!" Cody snapped before turning back to John, who was ready to strike. "Bit too much barbarism, John... don't ya think?" He asked… before screaming as John struck him with the pipe until he was down and grabbed him by his collar before punching him, the fans cheering.

"Well damn!" Jerry Lawler responded.

"A man's gonna defend his baby sis when he feels that she's been wronged, Jerry." Booker replied.

In the backstage area, Andre looked to Amanda.

"You were watching last night, weren't you?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah, I was… that was damn too much, even by my standards." Andre responded.

"Everyone was going crazy." Amanda said as they sat down.

Cody reached the backstage area and stormed into Kevin's locker room.

"You didn't tell me I would be walking into the lion's den tonight! Why'd you lie about the wellness results?!" Cody replied angrily.

"Lie about them? I thought they were legitimate and sent them to John, thinking it'd open his eyes up about his sister." Kevin said, Cody standing up straight despite his beaten up body.

"What, you mean get him to let her go? Kev… he tried to murder Finn, he had his old pole back and was ready to beat in the skull! Then he turned that rage onto me! It was far from a plan done right." Cody responded.

"I know that now… damn, I underestimated John." Kevin said.

"I'll second that, you two screwballs fucked up big time!" Both heard, seeing Dianne.

"Oh, we did alright… what's things like now? All out war?" Cody questioned.

"Actually, yes… but half towards you, not Mandy and Finn." Dianne replied, Kevin flipping the nearby table over. "What did that table do to you?" She asked sarcastically.

"That girl wouldn't know right from wrong if they were in different sides of the world, labelled by letters 10 feet high!" Kevin yelled.

"So you try to get Finn killed with the intent of leaving Mandy on her own?! You're fucked up in the head and should focus more on your career!" Dianne shouted before leaving.

Out there for Roman's match against Alberto, Amanda was on commentary when Zeb drove to her on his motor scooter and put a headset on as well, staying in character.

"Was there some sort of reason Alberto backed out of the way on Monday? Jack's been waiting for a while for a one on one fight, Zeb." Amanda replied.

"He has… he hasn't said anything in the way of an explanation yet either." Zeb responded.

The match spilled to the outside and continued until it escalated to a brawl, Zeb instinctively pulling Amanda out of the way as Roman and Alberto fought near the commentators table… and Alberto breaking character a bit when he got near Amanda and Zeb.

"She can protect that kid by herself!" Alberto yelled.

"Well pardon my overprotective nature but I don't want her or that child getting hurt! Would you calm down?!" Zeb responded.

Amanda snuck out quietly… and following her was Roman, the former Shield member carefully stopping her when they were in the backstage area.

"Alberto and Zeb actually believe that…" Amanda said quietly, trailing off as her and Roman hugged.

"They do… but at least they're protective about it, not angry. That's at least somewhat good news, for now and for the future." Roman responded, his right fingers trailing through her hair while the left hand was between her shoulders.

"Yeah… that was startling out there though." Amanda replied as Roman realised that she wasn't much heavier than Sylvia, who was getting healthier… Roman looked at the small woman in his arms, lightly tucking some of Amanda's hair behind her right ear. "You're worrying again… Roman, I'm just small, not too thin." She said.

"I still worry… because when something's wrong, you try to tough it out on your own." Roman responded.

"And it takes its toll…" Amanda said.

"It always will… Sylvia went through a stage similar, for a few weeks she tried to do it all on her own. I mean, there's nothing wrong with being independent but with how she is… she just can't, not yet. She… when she tried to go without as much support for a couple of weeks, she began to miss meals, you can… guess where it was going." Roman replied.

"Anorexia…" Amanda said as they let go, Roman getting her to sit down by pulling her onto his lap after he sat down. "I skipped food at times, after… well, you remember that, how skinny I was in mid 2007. John was crushing supplements into my food before I would eat and it helped me realise that hurting myself wouldn't change what had happened…" She responded.

"It still… lingers, doesn't it?" Roman asked.

"I miss them… but I think back on the good times, I don't feel the need to harm myself… it won't do any good to." Amanda answered as she rested her head on Roman's shoulder as they hugged. "I need your help figuring out something… an old friend is here and I'm not sure how to react if his wife shows up." She explained.

"Some sort of awkwardness with you and him in the past?" Roman asked.

"He didn't want me to leave… and when he tried to stop me, he kissed me and… bit down on my lower lip so I slapped him." Amanda explained as Roman once again ran his fingers through her chestnut curls.

"So either he'd secretly liked you or he was desperate for you to stay… either way, I'd say that… it's in the past. Approach this wife of his as a new person, you and him were always, and won't be anything other than friends. That way she at least won't feel invaded, how she perceives you beyond that is beyond anyone else's control." Roman replied.

"Here's hoping it works." Amanda said as they stood up and she turned, seeing Finn. "You were listening, I take it?" She asked as they hugged.

"Just for a second… you okay?" Finn responded, Amanda nodding.

At the same time, Andre had called Molly.

"Yeah… so, tomorrow? Trust me, it'll be different but worth it and you'll like her, Mols. Love you." Andre said before they hung up.

And now he just had to figure out how to keep them from fighting.


	5. Past Meets Present

At the hotel, Amanda and Finn were watching Tv and Amanda's tablet chimed to signal a video call… she picked it up, answered it and saw William Regal.

"Uh oh, the recording of the NXT taping got corrupted and can't air, can it?" Amanda asked.

"We have to do a live show tomorrow night… hey, are you feeling okay? I noticed you weren't out there for the contract signing." William responded.

"Yeah, Kevin and I got into it on Monday night… and things spiralled. You heard what he was saying to Dean about me and Finn, right? They'll have to edit some of it before it airs on Thursday." Amanda replied before seeing Aestrid in the background alongside a man she guessed was in his 70s as they walked over to the other side of the camera. "Hey, Ace… who's…" She started to ask.

"My grandfather. He wanted to see what I get up to when I'm away from home." Aestrid answered.

"And it's been fun except for…" The man said.

"I take it you ran into her. Small, blonde with red in her hair and bitchy?" Finn replied.

"Yes… though do tell her to watch her language, she called me a-" The man started to respond.

"I don't think they need to know… but it was bad, and respectless." Aestrid quickly cut in.

"She doesn't exactly listen to anyone… but I'll try my best." William said.

"Well thank you, Mr. Regal. And young lady, you look exhausted." The man responded, the last part to Amanda.

"Busy day today… my brother went a bit overprotective." Amanda said.

"Older siblings are like that… well, you rest." Aestrid responded before the video call ended.

"How many older brothers does your friend have, Ace?" The man asked.

"Too many to be the only sister without being driven nuts, that's for sure." Aestrid replied.

"And that's just the biological family. Mandy's on the road a lot so she's grown close to most of the guys in the locker room and they act like brothers to her. So their opinion on the young man she's staying with tonight varies a bit." William explained.

At the same time, Amanda curled herself onto her left side to get comfortable after she and Finn got under the covers… and he noticed the look she had and rested his left hand on her right side.

"I'm kind of glad Brock wasn't there tonight, he can be a scary son of a bitch… and as much as I want Seth's knee to heal, I'm glad he wasn't there either." Amanda said quietly as she wrapped her arms around him, Finn resting his hand on her lower back now as they fell asleep.

" _Well too bad! This isn't your choice, Seth, you're not related in any way to this child!" Amanda responded, having just gotten her blood test results back that confirmed that she was just under a month in her pregnancy and Seth was livid._

" _You can have someone else's child, anyone but his!" Seth shouted._

" _This might be my only chance to even have a kid." Amanda muttered, Seth turning confused. "I struggled with endometriosis, Seth… this miracle means that the struggle was worth it and you either accept that or you just go. I'm not choosing you over mine and Finn's baby. Tell me you understand that." She said after looking up at him… and Seth realising that her mama bear side was out in full force._

 _Seth turned and stormed out, reaching Hunter's office… before seeing Finn in the hallway and grabbing him, putting him against the wall with his forearm to Finn's throat._

" _The hell… is your problem… now?" Finn asked in between struggling to breathe and shoving Seth off him. "You're out of your damn mind, trying to kill me!" He growled after punching Seth, who stumbled back as Hunter exited his office._

" _The hell's the matter with you two?!" Hunter yelled, sledgehammer in hand as Amanda and Aestrid reached the three and Amanda checked on Finn._

" _Balor has no definition of a condom is what's wrong, so Mandy better have a definition of an abortion or she'll earn herself a definition of that sledgehammer there meeting her gut!" Seth growled, Aestrid looking at him._

" _Abortion doesn't make a baby something that never happened, it doesn't stop you being a parent… it just makes you the mother of a dead baby, it makes you a murderer!" Aestrid responded._

" _A 'dead baby' is the least of what that mistake, that human error, should be!" Seth shouted._

 _Finn turned and pulled Amanda out of the way before turning to Seth and grabbing him by his throat, infuriated._

" _That little child is innocent… mine and Mandy's son or daughter did nothing to deserve any hatred!" Finn said through gritted teeth as he squeezed Seth's throat once more before hitting him again, this time hard enough to render Seth unconscious before turning to Amanda and embracing her as tears ran down her face…_

Finn opened his eyes as he felt Amanda's head stir around on his right shoulder and pulled her in closer to comfort her as she was half awake… unlike last night, she wasn't screaming but he could see the fear in her eyes as her body trembled.

Down the hallway, Andre woke up in his and Immy's room and inadvertently woke her up as well.

"You sense it… don't you?" Immy asked quietly.

"The cold… she ain't happy." Andre responded.

"Yeah… one of us needs to find Seth, try to mend things somehow." Immy said as out of instinct, she climbed out of her bed and curled up next to Andre, who hugged her without any hesitation after pulling the covers over her and himself.

The journey to Full Sail University the next day was a quiet one… in the locker room, Alexa walked in and saw Amanda asleep on the couch… she nudged it, Amanda opening her eyes halfway.

"Quit picking the locks… and leave Aestrid's grandfather alone." Amanda said, pulling the blanket over her head… and Alexa yanking it down. "Do you mind?! Shoo!" She responded angrily, snatching the blanket back… and Alexa smirking.

But as she curled her hand into a fist, Alexa screamed as she was sprayed and backed up… she looked back up, Amanda with a water gun in hand.

"I tried to warn ya." Amanda said after standing up, Alexa noticing that instead of water, it was ginger ale.

"What was that scream?" Finn asked after running in, Alexa glaring at him.

"Your bitch of a partner… damn near blinding me with ale in my eyes!" Alexa growled.

"Hey, you were about to punch me. And I told you to leave." Amanda replied with a slight laugh.

Alexa growled and stormed out, muttering to herself… but as soon as she said "Those hormones are going to her brain.", she was stopped by Nia.

"What happened now?" Nia asked, handing the tiny diva a towel.

"Mandy used a damn water gun against me!" Alexa responded after wringing the soda out of her hair before going to shower.

She paid no attention to Andre, who was talking to Molly.

"The 'backstage fun' has started, hasn't it?" Molly asked, having noticed how furious Alexa looked.

"Yes it has…" Andre replied as they went to find Amanda and Finn. "Now no fighting with her, okay?" He asked.

Molly nodded and Andre knocked on the door… when it opened, Finn stepped aside and let them in as Amanda put the water gun away.

"Mandy, this is Molly. Molly, this is my old friend, Mandy." Andre said, Amanda and Molly shaking hands.

"Nice to meet you… Andre hasn't talked much about you." Amanda replied as the handshake stopped and their hands let go… Molly forced a tight lipped smile as she sized Amanda up, seeing that Amanda wasn't much shorter but had a little more muscle mass than herself.

' _Probably because he wants you to still see him the way you used to!'_ Molly thought… but instead, she said "It can be hard to talk about the spouse to an old friend you run into after a long time.".

' _Yeah, she hates me…'_ Amanda thought before she felt Finn's left hand on her lower back. "Yes it can, Molly… but I think we all should know where we stand, our limits." She said.

"Yes, it's always a good idea. But also it's good to recognise when people step out of their limits, and how to put them back in their place." Molly responded.

"Calm down, Mols! She doesn't need any stress!" Andre whispered.

"And why is that?" Molly asked quietly, Andre remembering the rumors and thinking of the first thing that was in his mind in hopes of getting Molly to stay calm.

"They haven't announced it yet but she's pregnant." Andre explained, Molly raising her eyebrows for a few seconds… and then turning to Amanda and Finn.

"Give me a second." Molly responded before forcefully dragging Andre out of the locker room and closing the door.

"I don't think she believes him…" Amanda replied.

"That or she thinks it was by him." Finn responded, quiet so as to not attract Molly's ears.

"Well she didn't like me all that much-" Amanda said before both jumped, Finn instinctively putting Amanda behind him as Molly's red stilettos crashed against the door that separated them. "Yeah, she's livid." She whispered as they heard Molly's voice increase in volume.

"It's one thing to cheat on me again but you couldn't use a damn condom?! Now he thinks she's having his baby because she's lying her ass off!" Molly yelled.

"Molly, she's not lying and neither am I!" Andre responded, Molly forcing the door open and trying to attack Amanda but Finn was shielding her.

"No, don't even dare, lady! Leave her alone!" Finn said as Andre managed to restrain a seething Molly and drag her out.

"Yeah… something tells me that one of them might file for divorce." Amanda replied quietly as they hugged.

In the hallway, Hunter ran towards the commotion when he heard it.

"Andre?" Hunter said, having not seen him since Andre and Amanda were 13. "Explain what happened, both of you." He replied, Molly turning to him.

"Amanda is pregnant because my husband was not only fooling around behind my back but also not using a condom while he does, some 'husband' that is!" Molly responded.

"It's not my kid, it's Balor's! Amanda and I haven't seen each other in a decade until I found her Tuesday night!" Andre said, Hunter opening the door and walking in it.

"She believed the rumor, I take it?" Hunter asked.

"Andre was trying to keep her from picking a fight with me." Amanda replied.

"Still a friend of sorts then, it seems… sometimes a strong bond never dies, however far apart it gets pulled." Hunter responded, as he crouched down near where Amanda was sat.

"Yeah but he's got a life different from the one I remember… and same with mine from the one he remembers." Amanda said as Hunter lightly rubbed the back of her head when he sat down.

"Immy too, you know. When you left, you and her were more or less just dreaming kids. Now she… I suppose she's an inventor of sorts, or an advanced scientist." Hunter replied.

"Yeah… she hasn't spoke much about it." Amanda responded as Hunter saw her cringe slightly and knew it was a dull ringing in her ears that caught her off guard.

"You rest. We all need our energy." Hunter said as they hugged before he left and Finn sat down, him resting his hand on her upper back.

The two knew from the script that Samoa Joe would mouth off in his new role.


	6. Not So Separate Lives

_**11/3/15, Copper Jacks Nightclub...**_

 _Lovin Every Minute Of It by Loverboy played as Finn did a few more shots of tequila before crouching down to where Amanda was stretched out on the bar and left more light kisses and bites on her toned abdomen that had salt sprinkled onto it._

 _Amanda leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she let out a soft moaning sound when he went lower, her jeans pulled down partly and Finn biting her inner thighs too, the top of his head lightly brushing between Amanda's legs and her thighs carefully wrapping around his head, her legs resting on his back._

" _What in the hell has gotten into those two?" Konnor asked with a slight laugh._

" _One too many tequila shots, a game of truth of dare and now I feel like we're in some sort of online X-rated video." Baron responded before he saw Finn trailing his lips back up Amanda again._

" _I'll say it again, the Demon King is a fucking lightweight." Viktor said with a chuckle, catching the unfolding scene in front of him on his phone as Finn took the piece of lime out of Amanda's mouth with his own and tossed it aside at the same time that Seth walked into the nightclub, also looking to unwind._

" _Doesn't seem to bother the Demon Mistress though…" Joe replied as Amanda started running her fingers through Finn's hair… before Finn screamed as he was snatched off of Amanda, who pulled her jeans back up and fixed them before ran at Seth but she was grabbed by Konnor._

" _Damn it, let go of me! He's gonna hurt Finn!" Amanda yelled as she fought against Konnor but he maintained his tight grip on her even when she elbowed him in the face and Konnor screamed as his nose broke and he fell, yelling out in pain after Amanda punched him in the ribs._

" _Put your hands and lips on my Shield sister, huh boy?!" Seth growled, Konnor screaming again as Amanda grabbed him by his right arm and spun him around, launching the Ascension member part of the way across the bar before taking the tequila bottle and bashing it over the Architect's head, forcing him to let the Demon King go._

 _Thinking quickly, the Demon Mistress helped Finn up and grabbed her black trench coat and Kiss: Hot In The Shade tour tank top and her and Finn left the bar as the bartender aimed a shotgun at them._

" _Well, that's the end of that party." Amanda said after shoving her tank top and coat back on._

" _Yeah… but hey, plenty of other bars in this part of town." Finn responded, the two leaving._

" _Told you it was a bad idea to come over here." Baron replied, him and Viktor helping Seth and Konnor up._

" _And now I know why they say that messing with Mandy will get you seriously hurt!" Konnor said as he saw glass shards sticking out of his arms._

 _At the same time, Amanda and Finn stopped to recompose themselves and he reached over._

" _Are you feeling alright?" Finn asked as he buttoned up Amanda's coat to keep her warm._

" _Yeah… just a bit freaked. By the time we get to England and Scotland, this tour's gonna completely wear us out… but it'll be worth it." Amanda answered as she stopped shaking and the two embraced each other._

 _Before they reached the hotel, Amanda had to lean against a wall for a few seconds… and lurched forward a bit, Finn holding her hair back as she threw up the alcohol in her system. When she stopped, Finn helped her straighten to her full height and lightly brushed her hair back._

" _Should've told ya it was a bit too strong…" Finn said, stopping Amanda as she tried to walk forward and picking her up in his arms. She leaned against him as he took her to the hotel and was half out of it when they reached the elevator._

 _It was clear that Amanda hadn't drank like this in a long time…_

 **Present time,** _ **WWE NXT Live, Finn Balor/Apollo Crews vs Samoa Joe/Baron Corbin…**_

Joe wasted no time in going after Finn after dropkicking him out of the ring… and backing up, seeing that Finn was stood in front of Amanda in a protective manner.

"This is far from right, he has no business trying to intimidate her!" Corey said as Joe grabbed a microphone and turned to Finn and Amanda with a smirk on his face.

"Get back in the ring!" The referee yelled.

"You're gonna cost us the match!" Baron shouted.

"In that ring or you'll cost _yourself_ the match!" The referee responded.

"Oh come on, when will I get the chance to congratulate them on becoming parents?" Joe asked sarcastically before dropping the microphone and getting back in the ring, Finn getting into the ring after he and Amanda hugged.

The match progressed with Finn and Apollo winning… when Finn, Amanda and Apollo were in the back, Finn handed Amanda a bottle of water.

"Thanks… he went a bit off script but not in a way that'll piss off the board. I hope." Amanda responded, opening the Dasani and sipping it as Finn rubbed his right hand up and down her back and lightly massaged the spine… and Apollo saw Enzo and Dianne down the hallway before the two walked over.

"Crazy time, huh? Sounded like the ref didn't know when to stop on this one." Dianne said as they approached.

"They get overwhelmed out there, I think Earl Hebner should come back." Apollo replied.

"It's times like these I wish Tim White didn't retire… but after that Hell In A Cell match that ended with him being sent flying into it, he couldn't referee matches anymore." Amanda responded as she finished the water and threw the cap and bottle away as Finn helped her sit down on a production crate.

Joe was about to walk over after reaching the backstage area but Baron stopped him.

"Let's just… leave Tiny and Finn alone." Baron said before they reached the hallway, Joe turning to him.

"You think they're discussing baby stuff, perhaps?" Joe questioned.

"Possibly… that wasn't like you though, trying to scare her. What's going on, pal?" Baron replied.

"I just… I don't know, I thought she would've told me. I've known Mandy since she was 15, helped train her..." Joe explained.

"Watched her grow up, basically… it's hard to see her as anyone except that kid-" Baron said before both were cut off by Brock storming over to them. "Something wrong, Brock?" He asked.

"Where is he?!" Brock demanded.

"Where's who and why are you-" Joe started to respond, Brock kicking a production crate aside in impatience and anger.

"Brock, before you start a-" Baron said before all three heard "What the hell's going on here?!" and saw Amanda, Brock approaching her.

"You just won't keep your legs closed, will you?! Not for one fucking second when you're around him!" Brock growled.

"Brock, calm down! Last thing needed is another fight!" Amanda responded, trying to diffuse things.

"Why's that, you afraid that someone will slam their fist into your stomach?! Maybe someone with half a mind should!" Brock replied angrily.

Joe pulled Amanda out of the way as a production crate flew past them and into Brock's legs, knocking him down before they saw Finn.

"I don't care if you're the Beast Incarnate, you don't ever threaten her! For the love of all things sane, you watched her grow up!" Finn responded angrily.

Brock stood up and charged at Finn, hitting him repeatedly until he felt two wires hit his back and spasmed violently before hitting the floor, Amanda dropping the taser.

"Tie him up and find the damn medics!" Amanda shouted as she crouched down to Finn to try to wake him up, tears streaming down her face as Baron tied Brock up and Joe ran to where the medics were.

When Finn woke up, he was in the ER and reached up, resting his right hand on Amanda's face and brushing her tears away as he felt her fingers running through his hair.

"Stay still… you've got a concussion, Brock smacked your head against the floor." Amanda said quietly as Finn rested his left hand on her right one, Amanda entwining their fingers. "I'm so sorry, Finn, I…" She replied before he carefully pulled her into his arms, flinching as her body brushed against his bruises but wanting to hold her.

"It's alright, babes… it wasn't your fault, he made the assumption himself." Finn responded. At any other time Amanda would have been made a bit wide-eyed by him calling her that, but right now it made no difference whatever he called her.

"He never used… to freak out about anything. Well there was the one time he nearly pulled Charlie Haas's arm off for Charlie yelling at me… I was about 12 and Charlie accused me of hiding something, I can't remember what. Brock went ballistic and grabbed Charlie's right arm with hardly any effort and then he pulled on it and snapped it out of the socket…" Amanda replied, managing to brush her tears away as Finn rested his hand on her side. "We kept in touch but when he first left… I was just a kid. He came back… and that girl was gone." She said.

"He still cares about you…" Both heard, Amanda looking to see…

"Luke." Amanda said, 13 year old Luke Lesnar looking exactly like his dad. "Care… wouldn't be the word I'd use, especially after…" She responded after helping Finn sit up, Luke visibly startled by Finn's injuries.

"Did my dad… say why he did this?" Luke asked.

"He thought that… me and Mandy had created a child between us, one we didn't plan. And to be bluntly honest, kiddo… he hated even the thought of it." Finn responded.

"Sounds like him. He's paranoid about who my stepsister brings home and she's 29." Luke said.

"Mariah's told him to back off, right?" Amanda asked.

"He doesn't listen. Still thinks of her as that 17 year old kid he first met." Luke explained.

At the same time, Mariah Mero had walked into the fifth floor of the hotel she and her stepsister Mya were staying at when they heard yelling.

"Yep, Dad's pissed." Mya said, Mariah handing the room key to her.

"Go on back to the room, Mya." Mariah responded, Mya doing so and the woman heading to the room she had heard the yelling echo from.

"This is ridiculous!" Brock yelled, pacing like a caged animal.

"Well you ain't leaving til you're calmed down! After what you did to Balor, you need to control your rage! Seriously, you were younger than him and Mandy when you and your ex fiancee became parents!" Joe responded.

"Exactly, and I won't let them make the same mistake I did! Those kids are my life's joy, but it was way too early regardless!" Brock growled in response.

Mariah turned and almost crashed into Baron.

"Sorry, little lady." Baron said.

"My stepfather was trying to kill Mandy's guy friend… did you tie Brock up and chloroform him?" Mariah replied.

"It was the only way we could get him here… I called your mom, she said that he needs to stay put until we're sure he's calmed." Baron responded before they walked in, Brock seeing Mariah.

"Are you out of your mind? Mandy adores you, are you trying to traumatize her?!" Mariah asked after closing the door.

"I'm not trying to traumatize her, I just want her to know what she's getting into before she blindly jumps into having a family." Brock explained.

"Well I seriously doubt she'd just do it without prior planning at least… and besides, right at this moment I think she loves her career too much to settle down entirely just yet. It may well be that this whole thing was just a rumor or a joke, blown way up more than it needed to be." Mariah replied.

"She would've said something." Brock said.

"You just beat Finn to a pulp, you really think you're getting any answers from Mandy?" Mariah asked.

"Well not now." Brock responded as the two hugged. "I miss that little girl at times…" He said.

"She's not little anymore." Mariah responded as they let go.

"True… no one is forever. As far as people know at least, there is no such thing as eternal youth." Brock replied.

"You're right about that." Mariah said.


	7. Long Time Ago

Amanda opened her eyes and realised that she and Finn had fallen asleep in the ER.

"Dad damn near killed him, we can't exactly fault her for being upset." Luke said in a hushed tone, Mya tapping her right foot on the floor and her arms crossed… unlike Luke, Mya had Nicole McClain's dark hair and softer features but she also had Brock's temper.

And right at that moment, Mya noticed that Amanda was awake.

"Mya… I'm not angry, that's not why I tasered your dad. I was scared that he was gonna kill Finn." Amanda said quietly, Mya seeing Finn open his eyes.

"You're not here to kill me, are you?" Finn asked.

"No, just like you… I don't like what he did at all." Mya answered.

"I'm guessing from the looks on your faces that Mariah already found him." Amanda said as she and Finn sat up.

"And she's either giving him an earful or slapping him." Luke responded.

At the hotel later, the four saw Brock, who looked like he wasn't too happy.

"Look kid, I think you've had enough." Brock said, taking the Jack and coke from a heavily intoxicated Alexa… who noticed his scratched and bruised hands.

"That was you earlier?! Who were you beating to a pulp?!" Alexa questioned, trying to steady herself after spinning around.

"One who you've probably dreamt of doing the same to. Though you have nothing against Finn of course, you'd just do it to cause stress to Mandy." Brock responded, and braced her shoulders as she nearly fell over.

"That fucking pint sized terror." Mya muttered.

"That's a bit eerie, I picked most of my cursing up from your dad." Amanda whispered, Mya snickering. "I better get him to go lie down." She said, helping Finn to the elevator as Mya and Luke took the other one.

"Okay, full honesty with me… how bad are you feeling?" Amanda asked once they were in the elevator and Finn was using the railing to hold himself upright, Amanda instinctively wrapping her left arm around his back.

"Like a space shuttle landed on my head, to put it one way." Finn answered, clenching his eyes shut as the movement of the elevator stopping made it feel like his internal organs lurched upwards.

"He went berserk back there." Amanda said as the doors opened and they headed into the hallway, both glad they were on the second floor. She put the key into the door of room 216 and helped him into it, closing and locking the door before helping Finn pull his shirt off as he couldn't move his arms too much… but he saw her eyes widen and lower lip quiver when she saw the bruises that marred his skin and despite the pain, he moved his hands up and cradled her face. "I was gonna tell him the truth but then everything just went… I don't know if we should talk to him after this." She managed to say before her tears overwhelmed her, the two carefully embracing each other as they stretched out on the bed… Finn noticed through the dimly lit room that Amanda had washed her makeup off a while ago and was in a white cami and black Balor Club Worldwide lounge pants after she pulled her jacket and shoes off.

"If you don't mind me… doing this…" Finn said quietly, his hands reaching under her cami and unhooking her strapless bra before slipping it out and setting it aside.

"That concussion's disoriented you…" Amanda whispered as she felt Finn's left hand rest on the right side of her ribcage.

"Maybe… but is it one to be stopped?" Finn responded, as his thumb lightly brushed over her skin from where it was rested.

"I don't mind… but you're hurting bad…" Amanda replied as she settled into his arms and felt his left hand now resting on her lower back. "I was scared I'd lose you." She said quietly as she rested her head on his right shoulder.

"You'll never lose me, Mandy… I'll always be there, right beside you." Finn responded, his hand lightly massaging her back where it was placed.

When they were eventually asleep, both ignored their phones… but one person didn't.

Up on the fifth floor, Bayley opened her sleepy eyes and answered her phone.

"It has been a long night and I was sleeping, Rollins." Bayley responded but Seth was undeterred.

"Which hotel are you all in?!" Seth demanded.

"Oh no! You're not gonna charge over to where we are and try to kill Finn, not after Brock tried to! Think this through, think of Mandy and how she'd-" Bayley replied but Seth cut her off in his angered state.

"Where! Is-" Seth shouted, Bayley jumping when Aestrid took the phone from her.

"You listen to me! She is under protection from all angles, you come anywhere near her and you _will_ wake up in a ward!" Aestrid growled.

Aestrid hung up, sitting down as Bayley sat up.

"How has Mandy stayed sane around Seth?" Bayley responded.

"I honestly don't know." Aestrid said.

It was early into the next morning when Immy, in her own hotel room, woke up to hear knocking. She stood up and walked over, opening it to see Molly as well as Molly's friend Amy Weber.

"You two… it's barely light out." Immy replied sleepily.

"Yeah, it probably was when they went nuts as well. Mandy has gotten… her whole presence here is just out of hand." Molly responded.

"Don't pin the whole blame on her, you started trying to fight with her at work." Immy replied angrily.

"Does anyone sleep to a decent hour anymore?" All three heard, seeing Amanda, who was in a charcoal oversized long sleeved off shoulder shirt and fleece camo pajama pants now… to Amy, Amanda hardly looked like she aged past her teen years physically.

"Molly-" Amy said but couldn't stop the woman charging over to the brunette, who grabbed Molly's wrist when Molly tried to slap her.

"Been a rough night and you got two options, do you want a fight or are you gonna go patch things up with your husband?" Amanda responded after Molly yanked her arm away and Molly saw Finn stand up after taking some Vicodin.

"What the hell? Someone else claiming that the kid is-" Molly asked.

"I'm not pregnant! Andre only told you that so you wouldn't pick a fight with me yesterday because in case you failed to notice, you are a complete fucking bitch!" Amanda responded, Molly turning rageful and shoving a family planning clinic services form at Amanda.

"Oh good, I might need one of these actually. Gives a reason to beat that cheating bastard who calls himself my 'husband' into a lifelong coma!" Molly said after a few moments of looking at the paper.

Amanda ripped the paper up and her hand cracked across Molly's face, Amy's eyes widening in fright as Amanda slammed the door and Molly headed back to her friend.

Amanda felt Finn's arms wrap around her shoulders and leaned against him, the two looking at each other.

"I'm starting to wonder if Andre lost his mind." Amanda muttered. "You think she meant it?" She asked.

"Whether she did or not, Andre probably needs to be warned. Because I know from past witness… a wife cheated upon, proven or merely suspicion, is a wife from the gates of hell." Finn responded.

When they were sitting down, Amanda called Andre and told him what had happened.

"She said… okay, I'll keep it in mind. Damn… I really didn't think that this would fall apart so damn quickly, it's like someone put a black hole in the middle of us all." Andre replied once Amanda explained.

"I really hope she wouldn't do that… I'm sorry about this, Andre." Amanda said, nervously running her fingers through her hair.

"It's not your fault, Mandy… things just go crazy at times." Andre replied before they hung up and he heard a knock at the door, walked over and opened it, Roman seeing that he had a black eye.

"Wife go berserk, kid?" Roman asked after Andre let him in.

"Yeah… you gave Mandy that advice, right?" Andre replied after closing the door.

"Yeah… sometimes she loses track of how to work things. Well, don't we all at some point?" Roman answered.

"That's true but we're in over our heads, Molly shoved appointment forms at Mandy to try to get her to go to the clinic and then said she'd use one for herself." Andre responded, him and Roman sitting down.

"She wouldn't… would she?" Roman questioned.

"Maybe… to be honest, as time goes on there's a lot more that I'm not sure she would or wouldn't do." Andre responded.

The two decided to go find Immy… but instead found a still drunk Alexa in the hallway.

"Oh what a good morning, huh boys?" Alexa slurred.

"Who the hell wakes up drunk?" Andre asked, Alexa narrowing her eyes at him.

"Don't be so stupid… sleep is for the weak, I party all night long!" Alexa responded with half open eyes.

"That's NXT's resident terror, Alexa." Roman said, yelping when Alexa kicked him in his shin after standing up.

"Fuck you, Reigns, I saw you being all cuddly on Tuesday night with your 'Shield sister' and it didn't look so innocent either!" Alexa snarled.

Andre and Roman left her there and reached Immy's room, Immy letting them in.

"Drunk people in the hallway?" Immy asked after closing the door.

"Yeah…" Andre said before the three sat down.

In the room down the hall, Amanda was soundly sleeping again and Finn trailed his fingers up her spine as he watched her.

"Awake it may be hidden, but asleep… if there were ever a more perfect image of youth…" Finn said quietly to himself, before he looked up as he heard a shuffle in the corner of the room. "She said you were… gone too quickly. Too young."

"I know she did… it was a day both she and Immy will never forget." Sachael responded, sat on the end of the table watching them.

"No one ever forgets their first loss… or any loss." Finn replied as Sachael saw his bruises.

"And she won't forget this… it's a lot harder for her to forgive someone who, in a problem against her, hurt you than who hurt herself." Sachael responded as she dropped off of the table and walked over, her footsteps silent as she walked.

Amanda opened her eyes… and screamed in fright, leaping off the bed and onto the floor as she thought she was hallucinating, Finn and Sachael running to her and crouching down in front of her. Finn took her into his arms, Sachael resting her hands on Amanda's shaking ones.

"Has anyone ever reacted like this before to seeing a spirit?" Finn asked quietly.

"Sometimes I'd go as far as to say that if they're not outright overjoyed or halfway scared to death, then they must be soulless. When it's someone they personally knew at least." Sachael answered, before she looked at Amanda. "It's alright, pal… it's me, never gone for long."

"Sache…" Amanda said, resting her hands on Sachael's now. "It really is you, I… I'm sorry I screamed and jumped."

"It's okay… but… you might want to answer that before he breaks the door down." Sachael replied before a frantic knock sounded and they heard John's voice.

"Mandy, you alright?!" John asked, Amanda letting Finn and Sachael help her up before she answered the door and her and John hugged.

Amanda managed to calm her breathing but John felt her small body shaking in his arms before they let go once she was calming down.

"Fucking hell, Finn, who jumped you?" John asked after he walked in and closed the door.

"Brock…" Finn responded.


End file.
